Tombow Oceanic

In a world teeming with creators and artisans, having the right tools in hand can unfurl the wings of imagination to flights untold. Tombow pencils emerge as not just a tool, but a companion to the modern maker, artist, and connoisseur of analog instruments. Renowned for their impeccable quality, consistency, and finesse they bring to every project, Tombow pencils have carved a niche in the hearts of many. What is interesting is how we at Makers and Mavens found to love this brand and why this Oceanic became the catalyst to a life paired with an insatiable passion for writing instruments. 

If you’ve ever ventured into an art store or any store that has more than your run of the mill #2, then you’ve probably seen the name Tombow. Beginning its life in 1918 as Harunosuke Ogawa Pencil, Tombow built a brand predicated on craftsmanship and consistency. In fact the very first Tombow I ever saw was an 8900 series HB, which happens to be one of their longest running instruments. To this day I find myself alternating between Tombow’s offerings and Staedtler any time the desire to sketch rears its head. However, the experience that cemented the Tombow brand in my mind, was the first time I laid eyes on a Tombow Oceanic, an odd fish shaped and felt textured mechanical (or pen). 

In the early 90’s I was just a young lad. My parents had me when they were pretty young, so my father was still in school, which happened to be at Chicago’s IIT. As a result, I was exposed to all types of tools, toys, writing/drafting instruments, modeling techniques, etc. On a typical day I would accompany him down to the campus and would be placed at a drafting table in one of the work areas, given a plethora of paper and tools, and left to my own devices. One day, I was left with a pencil that my father just picked up. This thing was big, particularly huge for my then childlike hands, and just such a playful shape and feeling. This pencil was the Tombow Oceanic. From that point forward it would become my first choice anytime a pencil was needed. Eventually the Tombow Oceanic would be mine, but then somewhere along the line it was lost. That was a sad day that resulted in a very lengthy decades long search, but I did manage to find a couple on eBay a few years back. I quickly hit the buy it now button and was even able to gift one to my Father as well as keep one for myself, which is seen below. Although mine was a little rough, it is still a fun instrument. 

At any rate, a tangent of a story to highlight the playful side of a company that had a mostly buttoned up history in the world of writing instruments. Although the Oceanic is near unobtanium these days, Tombow still has some other playful models. I use their Mono on the regular, but the Zoom has always been a close second to the Oceanic, albeit polar opposite in how it feels in the hand due to it’s ultra slim profile. I recommend checking one out. They’re priced well for the quality. https://amzn.to/4cuFz6o